MSFT
Xbox Does IPTV – It’s Official
Microsoft (MSFT) just announced that on November 22nd the Xbox 360 will allow users to purchase and rent high definition television and movies. I made this call back in January of 2006, and repeatedly since then (search this site for Xbox IPTV).
Akamai Alpha No More
Akamai (AKAM) was an exception in my portfolio. I typically avoid high P/E high market cap companies, but Akamai had a unique and dominant position in the marketplace that I felt people overlooked. But I’ve synthetically hedged out Akamai holdings since September 22.
Yahoo Music To (NOT) Be Shut Down
Based on dialogue I’ve had with multiple Yahoo folks, it looks like their tech support was clueless, and they are trying to figure out why. Based on dialogue I had recently with Yahoo Tech Support, it looks like they are shutting down their subscription music service.
Ferris Bueller on Digital Rights Management
DRM is a neccesary evil, but it won’t stop everyone. It only slows the velocity of illegal behavior. Making media easy to access and consume would have an even greater effect.
Apple Overload and Zune Confusion
I’m tired of reading about Apple’s ho-hum iTV announcement. And the Microsoft Zune strategy is incomprehensible. I don’t want the new PG-13 Microsoft that everyone likes. I want the old, evil, R-rated Microsoft you’re not sure you like.
Credit Suisse on PortalPlayer & Microsoft Relationship
Credit Suisse discusses Portalplayer (PLAY) today in their morning note.
Michael Masdea now sees Portalplayer as a potential supplier for the Microsoft Zune player, and specifically highlights the existing relationship Portalplayer has with Microsoft.
Current MSFT relationship is key. For many months now, PLAY has been working with Microsoft to develop the Preface technology for laptops. Microsoft is putting significant marketing dollars behind Preface through the “Windows SideShow” name and the Vista launch. As the hardware PLAY ships for the Preface platform is very similar to what PLAY ships into MP3 players, we believe Microsoft will be more inclined to use PLAY chips for its own MP3 player.
This is a concept that we have seen, followed, and talked about for the last six months. It is refreshing to see that this concept is finally more broadly recognized.
Yahoo vs. Google
There was an interesting column in the New York Times last week. The article outlines the different design approaches taken by Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO). It also provided quantitative values that reinforced a suspicion of mine.
Finesse vs. Brute Force
Paul Kedrosky highlights one slide presented by Craig Mundie at Microsoft Analyst Day that compares the cumulative R&D investment of Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG), among others.
Two ways to look at this.
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Microsoft’s iPod Killer Emerges
Rumors have been coming fast and furious over the last month about Microsoft’s (MSFT) entry into the digital music player business. The NY Times broke the story today with multiple confirmed sources, turning rumors into fact.
Engadget has dug up some interesting rumors that go beyond what was reported in the New York Times today.
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Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 (Beta)
Installed it this weekend. Very nice. You can install it on your own Windows XP machine by downloading here. It can be uninstalled by using the Windows ‘rollback’ function. If you don’t know what that is, then don’t install this Beta!
I have not tried the URGE online music service, I am completely in-hock to Yahoo! and their music service- changing at this point would require that I identify and re-download all of the subscription tracks I currently own. Lucky for me, WMP11 plays all of the downloads from Yahoo.
Yahoo’s software interface is horrible – if the URGE service is as good as the player itself, Real Networks Rhapsody/Yahoo Music/Napster are in for some tough sledding.
I’m not going to make the “Apple iTunes is Dead” statement as the device has legions of committed users (I use the word ‘users’ in the same way a heroin addict would). But this player, combined with the new syncing infrastrucutre built into Vista will certainly stop the bleeding.
